Vision 2032

From Ironbridge’s historic role in the Industrial Revolution to the creation and development of a new town that’s become a hub for engineering and advanced manufacturing, Telford and Wrekin has a proud reputation for innovation and enterprise.

Over the last half-century the Borough has diversified and matured into a  thriving, attractive place that residents are proud of, and a desirable location to live, work and raise a family thanks to the high quality of life on offer.

Our vision sets out where we want the Borough to be in 2032. It identifies what we want to see delivered to build on the progress of the past 10 years.

Fundamentally, it is about creating a place where all residents prosper, 
whatever their background, and tackling some of the big issues facing the Borough.

The aim is to set out a clear ambition and direction of travel for the Borough, which together as partners we will work to deliver. By working collaboratively, we will each be able to have consistent conversations when engaging with regional and national investors and policy makers to influence and shape decisions about the future of the Borough. 

To plan for the next 10 years, a vision of what the Borough will be like in 2032 was developed in 2022, presenting a clear ambition and direction of travel for the Borough.

Against each ambition the vision describes the ambitions and aspirations for what will be achieved by 2032. Each partner organisation has a delivery plan setting out how they will deliver the ambitions.

This document sets out the partnerships progress against the vision in 2024 / 2025.

Although the document focuses on each ambition for the Vision, it is worth noting that many outcomes are cross-cutting across all ambitions. 

Download Our Vision 2032 - our 10 year plan for Telford and Wrekin, alternatively, scroll down to discover the vision in more detail.

The Partnership continues to deliver actions to ensure that all neighbourhoods are connected, safe and clean.

• Significant work has been completed throughout the year in line with the national Police Race Action Plan (PRAP). This includes Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings, bringing all the communities and different agencies together, organising a football event and regular interfaith basketball attendance with people from numerous different diverse backgrounds and other agencies.
  
  
• A World Café was held in October 2024 at Telford Fire station where members from different faiths and backgrounds met with the intention of breaking down barriers, held jointly with agencies. There was positive feedback received from attendees, with the Windrush exhibition at the event - funded by West Mercia Police - being greatly received.
  
  
• Partnership working with Police and communities helped prevent disorder in Telford over the summer, increasing trust in black and asian communities at a time of uncertainty.
  
  
• Launched the Travel Telford On-Demand responsive transport service enabling residents to book transport through the on demand app.
  
  
• The council introduced seven new bus routes delivering improvements in public transport for people travelling to work and school with over 5,500 trips on the buses each week. One of these routes, the ‘work express’ service 100, delivers on average 12,000 trips a month serving the borough’s key employment sites. Telford College sponsors advertisement on the bus, joining up the education and skills offer.
  
  
• Investing over £45m into extending and improving local schools, increasing school places in 21st century-ready learning centres with brand new educational facilities across the secondary sector and ever-increasing modernisation of the primary and early years provision.

• Crime data from the last year shows Telford Local Policing Area is the safest in West Mercia with a reduction in overall crime. Key crime types include:
  
  
  • violence with injury reduced by 10%
  • rape reduced by 10%
  • robbery reduced by 28%
  • residential burglary reduced by 21%
  • vehicle crime reduced by 21%
  • domestic abuse offences reduced by 7%.
    
    
• The Retail Crime Action Plan on shoplifting offences led to the creation of the Town Centre Team. A combination of problem solving, partnership working and dealing robustly with offenders (including the use of civil interventions) has resulted in a consistent positive detection rate for shoplifting of 70%.
  
  
• Police and Telford & Wrekin Council jointly-funded ID scanners implemented at the Borough’s two highest demand locations. The scanner at one of the locations was installed in May 2024 and has seen a reduction in demand on the Police of over 50% and in its first weekend of operation was used to identify a suspect of a serious assault.
  
  
• The West Mercia Police patrol plan was revised in spring 2024 to effectively manage the demand caused by licensed premises in the night time economy leading to over 900 checks on licensed premises contributing to safer nights.
  
  
• As part of Operation Christmas Presence, police officers were based at key locations across Telford at Southwater, Newport

• Encouraging and supporting more community action teams and more volunteers to ensure strong and resilient communities.
   
  We have grown the local street champions group to over 1,500 individuals and aim to increase this further, recognising the work they do to assist in keeping their local environments clean and green.
  
  
• 3,500 residents participated in the Green Spaces Are Go campaign and outdoor activities programme which highlights the health benefits of exercising in a park or green space and encourages people to go and be active in them.
   
  This has involved activities ranging from outdoor gym sessions to history trails and family days in partnership with Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
  
  
• Investing over £30m for transport highways schemes, to ensure roads and footpaths are clean and well maintained and people can travel around our well-connected Borough safely.
  
  
• Continually recognise the quality and value of our parks and green open spaces across the Borough.
   
  We have over 20,000m2 of wildflower meadows and over 65,000m2 of meadow grass areas (the equivalent of 13 football pitches), seven green flag parks, 20 declared Local Nature Reserves (c. 617 Ha) and 305 ‘green guarantee’ sites (c.632 Ha or some 987 football pitches).
   
  In terms of access to open space, we provide c. 60m2 accessible green infrastructure per resident and c.30m2 of local nature reserve area per resident across the Borough, greater than the England average of 28.7m2.

The Partnership continues to deliver actions to ensure that everyone is able to live a healthy, independent life.

• Delivery of the county’s Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) transforming the way that services are offered to patients - with nearly 57,000 patients seen since it first opened its doors.
  
  
• NHS ‘Think Which Service’ communications campaign - supporting people to access the right health service at the right time. The campaign was successful in growing awareness of the wider range of NHS services available and changing behaviour by increasing the use of Minor Injury Units (MIUs), NHS 111 online and pharmacies and helping to keep A&E’s and GP surgeries free for those people who need them most. The post-campaign evaluation showed the ‘Think Which Service’ campaign had a positive impact, it changed behaviour and reduced ambulance handover delays. The campaign was awarded the NHS Communicate Best Behaviour Change or Public Health Campaign Award in 2024.
  
  
• NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin launched the ‘Open Up’ campaign which seeks to raise awareness about the signs of loneliness and provide practical guidance and support to parents, carers, and children on how to prevent and combat loneliness in children and young people.
  
  
• Launch of Pharmacy First in Telford and Wrekin in January 2024. Pharmacy First enables people to go directly to participating pharmacies for appropriate treatment and advice for seven common conditions, as well as oral contraception without a prescription, and blood pressure checks. In one year, 43,390 pharmacy first consultation were conducted in pharmacies across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
  
  
• Care Transfer Hub launched in October 2024 brings together staff from the NHS, Telford & Wrekin Council, Shropshire Council and the voluntary and community sector. Together, these multi-organisational professionals facilitate safe and timely discharges, ensuring appropriate support is in place for each patient. They are playing a vital role in ensuring that patients in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin who no longer need hospital care can return home as soon as they are medically ready. 

• The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme launched in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin in May 2024 and is available via referral through General Practices across the area. Once on the programme, people living with type 2 diabetes are offered help and advice at every stage of the service for a 12-month period, to help them to achieve the best results. This specialised support is delivered by trained professionals (including dietitians, nutritionists, and health coaches) by Counterweight, a market leading provider of effective weight loss.
  
  
• Supporting nearly 500 people a year through the monthly Telford Autism Hub offering an array of services to support Adults with Autism or on the Pathway. This year the hub also hosted a neuro diverse job fair enabling individuals to talk to local employers, get help and support on local courses and get CV support.
  
  
• Data sharing between the Council and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has enabled a targeted approach to the fire service safe and well visits and fitting of free smoke detectors in vulnerable households. In 2023, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service fitted over 400 smoke detectors and lockable letter boxes, free of charge, to homes in Telford and Wrekin and carried out over 2,000 Safe and Well visits to provide fire safety advice, reassurance and where necessary, signpost people to other vital services and support available to them.
  
  
• Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service have dedicated Prevention Officers, who are specialists in working with vulnerable groups. Each Prevention Officer will use their local knowledge and expertise, in partnership with other agencies, to improve the lives for people within our communities.
  
  
• Information sharing across health and care through the One Health and Care record to enable timely sharing of information about residents to help shape the care and support they receive.

• Digital Transformation of Care Providers. To date 91% of care providers in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin now have a Digital Social Care Record (DSCR), which is ahead of the national target for March 2025 of 80%. Projected savings in paper and printing, £141,042, which will reduce the Borough’s carbon footprint. 2,580 people receiving care in a care home or domiciliary care in the community are now supported with a DSCR.
  
  
• Launch of the new innovative perinatal mental health social prescribing service through MIND, with referrals starting to come in from GPs and expanded peer support which has improved our breastfeeding rates at 6 - 8 weeks to 36% in 2023 / 2024 from 32% in 2022 / 2023.
  
  
• Continue to deliver one of the best alcohol treatment rates in the country and further improved access to alcohol and drugs treatment across the criminal justice system, with a further improvement in overall treatment rates in the summer 2024 and an increase in the number of offenders commencing treatment for alcohol rising to 33 in Q1 2024/25, compared to 90 for the whole of 2023 / 2024, and treatment for drugs rising to 62 in Q1 2024 / 2025, compared to 109 for the whole of 2023 / 2024.
  
  
• Launch of the All-Age Carers Strategy which outlines how all partners will work together to improve the lives of unpaid carers in the Borough. Simultaneously the re-launch of the Carers Partnership Board to drive the delivery of this strategy through 2024 - 2028. Annual Carers Wellbeing Guide developed and promoted across all partners enabling carers to see what support is available across the Borough (available in digital and paper versions). 
  
  
• Independent Living Centre, in Central Telford, continues to offer a one stop shop to supporting people to remain independent in their own home. In addition to this physical centre, residents can take a virtual house tour - this interactive tour (developed in partnership with housing developer Lovells) shows examples of occupational therapy, assistive technology and sensory aids, equipment and solutions that may be helpful to residents and or their family that support independence at home.

• Live Well Hubs and Popups promote good health and wellbeing amongst the local community, co-locating services to provide early help and support closer to home. Examples of services within these settings include:
  
  
  • blood pressure checks
  • healthy lifestyles
  • independent living and adult social care information, advice and guidance
  • Telford Mind Social Prescribers
  • Nurse Associates
  • Forum 50 Plus
  • DWP.
    
    
• In the last 12 months, 8,500 people have used a Family Hub service, provided by our commissioned partners via family hubs funding, this is an average of 700 people a month. 1 in 5 of these people live in the 10% most deprived areas of our Borough and 1 in 4 live in the 20% most deprived areas. There has been a reduction in the number of referrals for safeguarding and statutory services by over 30%.
  
  
• Collaborative working with a wide of range of stakeholders through Telford & Wrekin Integrated Place Partnership to develop integrated neighbourhood teams and ‘teams of teams’ approaches across the Borough supporting improved outcomes for people as well as reduction in demand on acute services. 
  
  
• The Council’s Healthy Lifestyle Service have received 1450 referrals to them with 1100 residents receiving support from a Lifestyle Advisor to complete our 12 week behaviour change programme including support to quit smoking. 
  
  
• 1500 residents have attended one of the community events to have their blood pressure taken. These events have been supported by over 80 trained volunteers and have helped to identify over 350 people with high blood pressure who have since been signposted for further support.
  
  
• Across the Borough, there is much for both children and adults to do thanks to a varied, affordable leisure, culture and arts offer for residents and visitors alike. We are investing in a programme of urban games offering children a free programme of sports and wildlife activities, taking place in a supervised space all year round. It is an opportunity for children to learn new skills and have fun.
  
  
• Calm Cafés delivered in partnership between Telford Mind and Telford & Wrekin’s mental health social work team. A specific Calm Café had also been set up for Armed Forces Personnel and veterans. The cafés are very well regarded in the local area and recognised as being a notable example of place-based preventative support, with up to 300 people attending each month.
  
  
• The Making it Real Board (a group of people who use adult services or who are interested in the development of adult social care in Telford and Wrekin) co-produced with Council staff the knowing where to go communications campaign, including digital and paper options. This campaign brought together information, support, and advice all in one resource called knowing where to go enabling residents to find the help that is right for them when they need it. https://www.telford.gov.uk/kwtg
  
  
• Telford’s “Green Flag” Town Park is a focus for a variety of events, bringing together residents and visitors to the Borough and including the Balloon Fiesta, rock and pop concerts, the Telford Carnival and Armed Forces Day. The amphitheatre in the Town Park is being used as an outdoor performance venue. Many of these events and activities are free and ensure the Borough offers an inclusive environment.
  
  
• Providing financial support through a variety of welfare support schemes including the household support fund, discretionary housing payments, emergency welfare assistance and Council Tax hardship fund, with more than 37,600 people receiving awards from these schemes over 2023 /2024 and 2024 / 2025.

• Providing bespoke solutions for residents through properties delivered via the wholly owned housing company, Nuplace, delivering directly as a Council or through stimulating the market to build properties that meet need. This is supported through the Homes for All planning document and use of S106 contributions. This has led to improved outcomes in supported accommodation, and enabled bespoke solutions for people maintaining independent living, delaying entry to statutory services through the use of assistive technology.
  
  
• The continued expansion of assistive technology into people’s homes is improving outcomes. ‘Ethel’ is one example and offers a personalised way to stay safe and independent at home. It allows both professional support and family to connect, ensuring individuals receive the right amount of support throughout the day. The system can be customised with different modules based on specific needs, providing flexibility to manage and change the support as needed. Oysta is another example (see ITV news April 2024).
  
  
• Shared Lives service offers an alternative approach to care and support in a number of different ways. These placements are carefully matched between the individual and the potential carer and can be provided long term, short term, respite care or via single days. This service is rated Outstanding with CQC and is currently providing support to 83 individuals across the service area. The service is promoted regionally and nationally as best practice.
  
  
• The Council continue to support people to live independently at home through the Disabled Facilities Grant and providing funding for adaptations to properties with over 400 grants approved.

The Partnership continues to deliver actions to ensure that everyone benefits from good education and can fulfil their potential in a thriving economy.

• DWP working in partnership with Shrewsbury Town Football Club Foundation youth agenda, hosting careers fairs at the football ground.
  
  
• A full school leaver and adult offer available at Telford College for residents and young people in Sutton Hill, Brookside and Woodside, including distance learning programmes.
  
  
• Investing over £54m to support further Growth Fund initiatives bringing new jobs to the Borough. The growth fund has helped to fund the new industrial units at T54, space for new businesses at Hortonwood West and Ni Park (a new employment park in Newport) and enabled many new job opportunities in the Borough.
  
  
• Leveraging and investing £65m to further develop Oakengates and Wellington Town Centres and the exciting development at Station Quarter in the Town Centre which has seen the opening of ‘The Quad’ – a stateof-the-art skills and innovation hub accommodating Telford College and Harper Adams University. With Telford College sixth form centre moving to Addenbrooke House and opening in September 2026, this array of providers means residents of all ages and backgrounds can access this education campus to enhance their skills, helping them to secure employment in the local economy.
  
  
• The Telford Land Deal is a special agreement with Homes England to bring brownfield and underutilised land back into use for development. Taking effect from April 2015, this unique model

The Partnership continues to deliver actions to ensure that the environment is protected for the benefit of everyone.

• Telford Business Board has led business engagement in climate change through the technology sector focussing on energy networks.
  
  
• Investing £1.17m for environmental improvements and enhancements into our parks, local nature reserves and green guarantee sites. This has resulted in:
  
  
  • planting of 11,664 trees
  • creation of 32 new wildflower areas and
  • continued growth in the number of Green Flag designations by a further two sites in 2023.
    
    
• Investing in the bus network and the Silkin Way to enable people to benefit from the Borough’s green network, promoting active travel and increasing the popularity of walking and cycling.
  
  
• Investing over £2m for climate change initiatives to support work to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint and partnering with the Government and others on climate change projects as part of the new Climate Change Partnership Action Plan.
  
  
• A further 150 electric vehicle charging points being installed across the Borough by Summer 2025 following a £1.7m investment by the Council.
  
  
• Implementing a new strategic framework for Telford Town Park, ensuring that it continues to provide a wide range of formal and informal recreation  

This vision has been developed and is delivered by a partnership of organisations from across the Borough that includes: